New Turney letter attacks UK and US

The Iranian Embassy has released a third letter purportedly written by British sailor Faye Turney, saying she has been "sacrificed" to the policies of the British and US governments.

The letter, addressed to the British people, also said she had been treated well, unlike the prisoners held at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

"I am writing to you as a British serviceperson who has been sent to Iraq, sacrificed due to the intervening policies of the Bush and Blair governments," the letter said.

"I believe that for our countries to move forward we need to start withdrawing our forces from Iraq and leave the people of Iraq to start rebuilding their lives."

The letter said Turney had been treated well, in contrast to people being held in Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, the site of a prisoner abuse scandal in 2004.

"Whereas we hear and see on the news the way that prisoners were treated in Abu Ghrayb (sic) and other Iraqi jails by the British and American personnel, I have received total respect and faced no harm," the letter said.

"It is now our time to ask our government to make a change to its oppressive behaviour toward other people."

The letter was sent to news agencies in an email from the Iranian Embassy in London and was dated Tuesday.

The authenticity of the letters could not be verified, and officials at the embassy did not immediately say how the three letters had been obtained.